darryaz:
Several months ago I had given up on the effort to have my Student Loans discharged based on my disability. The process was far too complicated and the Student Loan people seemed incredibly picky.

My doctor filled out the application twice and it was refused both times. The first time it was because they claimed they couldn't read his handwriting (strange, since I could read it just fine) and the second because he abbreviated HIV and AIDS.

Later this month I see a new doctor so I decided to tackle the process again. I went online this morning to re-print the application.

To my HUGE surprise, things have changed a bit in the last 6 months. There is now a website where you can apply for disability discharge online. http://www.disabilitydischarge.com/Home/

The requirements have changed as well. Before it was made clear that the student loan discharge WOULD NOT take into account a person's disability status with the Social Security Administration. That does not appear to be true any longer.

From what I'm seeing I don't have to have my doctor involved at all. The documentation ALL comes from the Social Security Administration.

This is a terrific change and makes me much more hopeful about getting the student loans discharged.

I'll keep you all posted.

GSOgymrat:
Sounds encouraging. I hope it works out.

mikeyb39:
My student loan has been a huge monkey on my back for years. I used to only pay the interest for the longest time, which was doing nothing to decrease the almost 30,000 I owed.

Two years again I bit the bullet and just started paying the 400/month and now I have it below 6000.00, my plan is to get it paid off by next summer. whatever I owe by next April im going to just pay it off. I cant wait to get this done and out of my life.

College was fun, but It was not worth the pain u have to deal with later. Unfortunately I did something completely opposite than what my degree was in.

darryaz:
Mikey, I know how you feel. I paid off the student loans from my first attempt at grad school in 1993. And like you I ended up in a career COMPLETELY different from what I studied.

bocker3:
Not sure I am understanding the connection between your student loans and your current career?Having hired a number of folks over the years, trust me, your college degree matters -- regardless of the major.I, too, work in a field that has nothing to do with either my undergrad or grad degrees -- but I would NOT have this job if I didn't have those degrees.

I suspect that you will make more over the course of your working life because of those degrees, than without them -- and that difference is probably much more than the cost of the loans. May not be true in 100% of the cases, but it is far more true than not..........